Union members and elected officials gathered for a ground-breaking ceremony for the new training center for Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #773 at Tech Meadows.
By Lisa Balschunat
The sun was shining down on Local Union 773 of the United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters in mid-June, and an unscheduled fly-by from a red tailed hawk circled above the ceremonial ground-breaking of the union’s new Training Center in the Tech Meadows business park.
Some 200 people — union members, elected officials, friends and family — gathered at the corner of Veterans Way and Luzerne Road to mark the occasion of the local union being the first tenant in Tech Meadows, but moreover to celebrate the forward thinking efforts of the the union to train new and veteran plumbers and steamfitters to support the growth of advanced manufacturing in the region.
Nine speakers including Glens Falls Mayor Jack Diamond; Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec; State Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury; Scott Martel, business manager of Local 773; Larry Bulman, legislative and political director, United Association; Michael Russo, government representative of Global Foundries; Ann Luby, capital region representative of the New York State Department of Labor, and others were thrilled to recognize Local 773 for its foresight and goals to be “ahead of the curve” and prepared to support the “jobs of the future” with the expertise of its trade. All reiterated that New York is “open for business.”
Flanked by a front loader, bulldozer and excavator, the gold-shoveled event marked the hard collaborative efforts of Glens Falls Industrial Development Agency, Greater Glens Falls Local Development Corp., New York State Empire State Development Corp., the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and the United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Service Technicians.
Two weeks ago, Local 773 received a $200,000 job training grant from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide training to its workers for projects such as the Hudson River dredging, safe lead paint and asbestos removal from older buildings being redeveloped, and clean room work for advanced manufacturing and medical device firms. The grant was made possible through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, with support from U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, State Sen. Betty Little, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During the past five years, Local 773 has worked on expansion projects at Glens Falls Hospital, Fort Ticonderoga, Double H Ranch, Habitat for Humanity, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center, and on new construction at Global Foundries and Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART® Campus.
The 18,000 square foot training facility will include offices, meeting rooms and a “clean room” training booth that will mirror the specifications of work areas at Global Foundries. Rosch Brothers, Phinney Design Group, DiGesare Mechanical and Gross Electric will be working diligently to erect the training center in the next nine months with plans to open in March 2013. The project is financed by Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company.
For more information about Local 773, call 792-9157 or visit www.lu773.org.
Some 200 people — union members, elected officials, friends and family — gathered at the corner of Veterans Way and Luzerne Road to mark the occasion of the local union being the first tenant in Tech Meadows, but moreover to celebrate the forward thinking efforts of the the union to train new and veteran plumbers and steamfitters to support the growth of advanced manufacturing in the region.
Nine speakers including Glens Falls Mayor Jack Diamond; Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec; State Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury; Scott Martel, business manager of Local 773; Larry Bulman, legislative and political director, United Association; Michael Russo, government representative of Global Foundries; Ann Luby, capital region representative of the New York State Department of Labor, and others were thrilled to recognize Local 773 for its foresight and goals to be “ahead of the curve” and prepared to support the “jobs of the future” with the expertise of its trade. All reiterated that New York is “open for business.”
Flanked by a front loader, bulldozer and excavator, the gold-shoveled event marked the hard collaborative efforts of Glens Falls Industrial Development Agency, Greater Glens Falls Local Development Corp., New York State Empire State Development Corp., the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and the United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Service Technicians. Two weeks ago, Local 773 received a $200,000 job training grant from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide training to its workers for projects such as the Hudson River dredging, safe lead paint and asbestos removal from older buildings being redeveloped, and clean room work for advanced manufacturing and medical device firms. The grant was made possible through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, with support from U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, State Sen. Betty Little, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During the past five years, Local 773 has worked on expansion projects at Glens Falls Hospital, Fort Ticonderoga, Double H Ranch, Habitat for Humanity, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center, and on new construction at Global Foundries and Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART® Campus.
The 18,000 square foot training facility will include offices, meeting rooms and a “clean room” training booth that will mirror the specifications of work areas at Global Foundries. Rosch Brothers, Phinney Design Group, DiGesare Mechanical and Gross Electric will be working diligently to erect the training center in the next nine months with plans to open in March 2013. The project is financed by Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company. For more information about Local 773, call 792-9157 or visit www.lu773.org.